A Knight's Letter
by Paiyaku
Summary: A Knight writes to the Sandorian Knight Captain that saved his life.


Dear Sandorian Knight Captain,

Words cannot describe my thanks to you for not giving up on your search for us. You could have left me dying in that field with my comrades, but you searched every one of us and found one faint sign of life in me. As custom in my Knighthood, I will write to you what happened up to when you and your men showed up…

General Paiyaku had us engage the Beastmen hordes on the border of La Theine. When the Beastmen were in sight, as you know, their numbers were in the hundreds, but still we charged forth into the fray. Goblins threw grenades, Orcs threw axes, and we kept our charge. I was in the back of the third formation.

We watched in horror as those second formation ahead of us were butchered before our eyes. Then they were in our ranks, jumping over the second formation, almost twenty feet in the air! Brother Matrus was killed right in front of me when an Orc jumped on top of him. In my shock I stumbled back and before I raised my sword to fight back more of my brothers cut the beast down.

"NO FEAR!" A voice in the formation screamed, invoking courage in all of us.

I could see Generals Paiyaku and Taokii; they danced through the Beastmen with unbelievable grace, carving bloody spaces in their ranks. More Knights fought to catch up with them, but the Beastmen numbers were too great. We had skill yes, but not enough to face down what seemed like endless waves of Beastmen.

Already the formations were scattered and Knights were everywhere killing, being killed. I don't even remember killing anything, just staggering my way up a hill to General Taokii who towered above me like a god. Using my sword as a cane to pull myself up the hill to the General, I was soon close enough to him that we could speak. He turned to me as he pulled his blade free from an Orcs throat.

"Sir, Shouldn't we fall back?" I shouted above the chaos of battle that raged all around us.

"Can you outrun an angered Orc?" Taokii said with a smile.

I realized what he was talking about. There was no retreat; we could never escape the hell storm we had provoked. Knowing this I lifted my shield and thrust my sword out at the nearest enemy, but before my blade touched the Orcs hide a sharp pain shot through me. The beast had slashed me across the head and my helmet was torn off, cutting the sides of my face as it flew off. I spun right in recoil from the blow and rolled down the hill.

My body stopped rolling in a small crater on the side of the hill and I watched in a limp state as the battle raged on around me. The Orc who hit me wanted more and when I looked up I was his fists pounding down on my iron armor. Over and over he beat my armor, my limbs, my chest; I felt broken twisted metal cutting into me throughout my body.

Feeling this was the end I began to pass out, but just before I had, General Paiyaku cut the Orc off me and kept running. Still I passed out, and awoke to a grim scene before me…

General Taokii looked at me from atop the hill above me; blood ran down his face like a river. The pain was visible in his eyes, an axe stood tall from his back and a stream of blood sprayed upwards, but was dying down. As I looked back at Taokii's face I found him staring right at me with a cold dead stare. The General was dead, but was it comforting to know some of his men survived the battle?

General Paiyaku was lying in a crater on the adjacent hill across from where I laid. He was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely. His dented sword lay across his leg and his shield was twisted and broken against his hip. The sun was rising on the silent battlefield and the reddened field grew redder as sunlight bathed La Theine in its light.

I thought in these moments back to the cheers of Sandorian citizens as we marched out of the city, the promises we made to our families of returning home safely, and how my wife told me she was going to have a baby.

The other knights I had fought with, I had no doubt in my mind they had all fallen. Paiyaku was probably the last to fall and it must have taken a great deal to do it. Two Beastmen lay bloody on either side of the General and their weapons he was trying to pull out of himself.

Then something odd happened…A single tear rolled down his cheek as he looked up at the gray overcast that was beginning to build over him. I had never seen the General show emotion of sorrow or fear, so to see this gave me a sense of loss and defeat. General Paiyaku spoke so confidently in our skill and prowess when it came to fighting. He had led Knights into battles like this before, but our small numbers was our greatest weakness in a battle against a large force. General Paiyaku felt he had to stall the Beastmen's march so Sandoria could fully prepare its Knights. Even if it meant fighting a battle we were destined to lose.

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words, nor the energy to speak. I think it would have been better if he believed he was dying in that field with all of his men who bravely followed him to their end.

I could tell soon it would be raining and the hill would be washed of the blood spilt here. Signs that we were ever fighting here would be gone in a few weeks. Animals would follow the smell of death and find a fresh meal, even if their meal hadn't died yet. All of us who lay here were destined such a fate.

"Is this how it ends…?" Paiyaku said aloud to himself, staring up into the looming clouds.

"Has the Star Sybil really destined this to be my final hour as well as Taokii and the rest of my men?" He said aloud as if talking to me, but I knew he wasn't aware of my survival.

All around us the only movement was the tall grasses dancing in the wind blowing across La Theine. I listened for anyone traveling nearby, but all I could hear was the wind and the wild dancing of the grass. We were alone…

Suddenly, in desperation he began to move, reaching for his sword and as much as it pained him, he forced his arm up, holding the sword in the air so he could be seen. If someone passed by, they would see the sword above the grasses, but he couldn't hold his arm up forever.

"Great Star Sybil, please, save me." Paiyaku prayed as he cried.

I prayed with him, but since I was unable to speak the General could not hear me. Though he prayed that he would be found, I prayed that my passing not be hard on my wife. I also prayed for the health of the child she will have soon. I began to cry, thinking I would never know if I had a son or a daughter. That day, I promised myself that if by some miracle I survived, I would retire.

Looking back at the general I could tell he lacked the strength to pick his sword up again, still he shook and moved, trying to either sit up or make enough commotion that someone would see the grass moving wildly and investigate.

"I won't die here! I won't…die here! I won't…DIE here! I…WON'T…DIE…HERE!" He said to himself over and over until he was screaming it between breaths.

Then in his fear and sadness, a peaceful feeling came over Paiyaku. He muttered Taokii's name, as well as different people he must have met in the past. I could tell his life was flashing before his eyes and as a smile came across his face, he must have found peace in death. He had helped many people in the past and so had Taokii. The fallen knights around him were all of different backgrounds and their lives will be more significant to those that knew them and learn of our sacrifice. A warm smile was upon Paiyaku's face and he looked up at the sky for the last time before closing his eyes forever.

Then I was alone, the Generals were dead, my comrades were dead, and Sandoria was probably burning. What could I do? Nothing, I wanted to scream. I wanted to get up, but both of these things I couldn't do. I could only lie there and either look at the dark gray overcast, or the field of dead Knights and Beastmen around me. Then when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it started raining.

When you showed up with your Sandorian Knights later searching for us, you found us on the border of Ronfaure and La Theine. I remember your men talking of how Paiyaku was smiling as if he were sleeping peacefully. Your Knights soon began to bury my comrades, starting with General Paiyaku, but luckily you looked at me and I did everything in my power to give signs that I was still alive, but all I could do was breathe and blink which I did. The look you gave me I'll never forget, but thank you for personally seeing me to Sandoria.

Now, I'm home with my wife and newborn son. I've given up the life as a Knight, now I work at the Auction House in Windurst. Not a day goes by that I don't think of that battle. The horrors of seeing my superiors dying on the ground, or watching my friends be butchered mercilessly. I'm very thankful that you saved me, I would never have met my son and live out my life happily and quietly. You are welcome to stop by and visit anytime you're in Windurst.

Thank you for saving me,

Knight Private Balaar


End file.
